


Take the Last of Me

by elcten881



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - The Last of Us, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Angst, F/F, Fake Character Death, Family, Unrequited Love, welcomemat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:27:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25300840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elcten881/pseuds/elcten881
Summary: It was the right choice, sure it was cruel. It was painful. But it felt like her only clean escape. Chaeyoung was loyal, she would have followed Tzuyu to the ends of the earth. She couldn’t let that happen, not when her friend finally got the girl. A girl that wasn't her.
Relationships: Chou Tzuyu/Son Chaeyoung, Kang Daniel/Park Jisoo | Jihyo, Myoui Mina/Son Chaeyoung
Comments: 14
Kudos: 95





	1. Take the Last of Me

**Author's Note:**

> Based off a twitter prompt by @TigerChaengieee
> 
> Last of Us cheat sheet:
> 
> Runners - Newly infected (2 days at least), look human but very aggressive.
> 
> Stalkers - Been infected longer than runners, hide in the dark to attack prey at best moment.
> 
> Clickers - 1 year of infection, blind and use echo location. Make clicking noise.
> 
> Bloater - Infected several years, slow and blind. Incredibly strong.
> 
> Shambler - Infected several years, usually near water. Can expel large spore clouds.
> 
> Rat King - Infected for 20 years and made up of multiple infected who have fused together.

** **

** **Take the Last of Me** **

** **

Tzuyu loved moments like this.

The rare occasions in which she didn’t have to be on guard or watch out for infected and nomads. Safe within the walls of their compound, under her favourite willow tree. Head resting gently on her best friends knee as said girl doodled in her notebook. No screaming, no clicking, no gun shots. Just them. The buzz and bustle on their makeshift city seemed far away here, hell there wasn’t even a stray cloud coming to bother them. It was so peaceful, in their reality that was rare.

Tzuyu was part of the first generation born after the infection broke out. She had never known peace, not really. Her life had been a constant fight for survival, it was all she knew. She only had her mother. Nothing could be constant, they had to keep moving - keep surviving. Her mother was the only sense of safety Tzuyu really knew. Her father had been ripped apart by infected before she was born, her brother had long since left to join the Fireflies. That just left the two of them.

Until it didn’t.

It was their fault really, they had strayed into the wrong territory. They had ignored the markings to stay away, in lieu of finding shelter from the harsh snowstorm. That had been their first mistake. They barely stood a chance. Hands too cold to pull the triggers, brains too exhausted to think straight, bodies to fatigued to keep moving. Tzuyu could barely keep herself upright, unable to remember the last time they had rested. But she had to stay standing - at least until they got inside.

Tzuyu and her mother had been circling the building looking for an entrance. It had been locked down pretty tight and they were moving slowly so that anyone inside would be less likely to hear them. Then Tzuyu made her second mistake. While her mother carefully tried to open a small window they’d found, the younger girl kept a look out. The white around them hurt her bloodshot eyes and she felt her exhaustion hit hard now that they weren’t moving. She let her eyes droop for a moment. Losing focus. That was all it took.

_POP!_

Her eyes snapped open and she saw a man a little way away duck behind the corner to reload. Tzuyu turned and her mother lay on the floor. Red gushing from the hole now in her forehead. No last words, no goodbye - just gone. Tzuyu barely had time to blink before a second bullet grazed her shoulder. That was enough to get the adrenaline back. Forgoing her gun, she began running back the way they came. Ignoring the guilt of leaving her mother’s corpse behind.

Bullets flew past her head, alarmingly close, as she weaved her way through the trees surrounding the area. She felt splinters from the bark press into her skin as the bullets hit the trees. The shouting behind her a tell-tale sign it was now more than one pursuer. Her legs burned and she was so, so tired. But she had to keep moving. If she stopped she didn’t think she could start again.

Then mistake three.

She had been so focused on keeping up her speed she hadn’t been looking where she was going. One wrong step had her tumbling to the ground, rolling down a harsh incline. With a thud, Tzuyu found herself staring up at the tree tops - colder than she had ever felt before. The shouts were getting closer and Tzuyu willed herself to get up. It was like her body was shutting down, unable to move. A tear froze to her cheek. She was all alone, no one to save her.

She didn’t want to die here.

She didn’t want to die alone.

Vaguely she heard a twig snap behind her. Think it was one of her assailants she took a deep breath, preparing for it to be her last. She released that breath in shock when two arms moved under her own from behind and began dragging her to a nearby drop. The mystery person jumped down the drop first before pulling Tzuyu down with her. Tzuyu’s adrenaline had built a little now and was able to finally look at her saviour.

Said saviour pressed her finger to her lips as the armed men ran past. Luckily their tracks had been covered extremely quickly by the heavy snowfall.

And that was how Chou Tzuyu met Son Chaeyoung.

In the four years they had known each other they had bonded very quickly. It was a year ago when Tzuyu realised she liked Chaeyoung more than a friend. Being around Chaeyoung made her happy. She was this creative, free soul and Tzuyu was utterly smitten by her.

Being the straight forward girl that she was, she prepared to tell her. Only before she could Chaeyoung pulled her to one side and started talking about her own crush…on their friend Mina.

Truth be told, at the time Tzuyu was understandably heartbroken. But she kept quiet, deciding that she would rather be Chaeyoung’s friend than lose her. Though she had started pulling away a little, offering to patrol with Gowon or Handong rather than Chaeyoung. Which suited the smaller girl fine, she assumed Tzuyu did it so she could partner with Mina. Lately, though she had noticed her tall friend’s distance.

Chaeyoung had manage to get out of Tzuyu once that the younger girl had a crush on someone. They had been drunk and Chaeyoung had taken advantage of the moment to discover the secrets of her quiet best friend. She wondered if this mystery girl was the reason for the sudden disappearing act. So she confronted Tzuyu about their lack of best-friend-time and demanded they hung out today. Which is how Tzuyu ended up laying under their tree with her head on Chaeyoung’s lap.

“So,” Tzuyu asked, bored with the silence, “What are your plans today?”

“Patrolling the northern area with Mina.”

Tzuyu ignored the stabbing pains in her chest, “Oh…and how’s that going? Y’know - crush and all.”

“Well we talk on patrol, obviously,” Chaeyoung blushed, “I keep losing focus because…God every time I look at her it’s like she becomes the centre of the world. She looks at me and time just stops, like it’s giving me the privilege to enjoy the moment for longer.”

“Cute.” Tzuyu replied curtly, “Though you probably shouldn’t lose focus like that on patrol.”

Chaeyoung chuckled, “How about you?”

“Me?”

“Yeah,” Chaeyoung smirked, “Your little crush.”

Tzuyu sat up slowly, “Still completely oblivious. But the heart wants what it wants, I can’t stay away.”

“Aww,” Chaeyoung patted her knee, not seeing the inner turmoil in Tzuyu’s eyes at the action, “Well whoever she is, she’s missing out big time. I mean who wouldn’t want to date THE Chou Tzuyu!?”

_You apparently…_

“Huh? What did you say?”

_SHIT THAT WAS OUT LOUD!_

“Nothing, dwarf.” Tzuyu added an eyeroll for good measure, “Come on, we’ll be late for patrol.”

She went to move but two arms wrapped round her, pulling her back into a tight hug.

“Can’t we stay a few more minutes?” Chaeyoung asked, “I’ve missed you.”

“I missed you too…”

_____

“Where have you been!?” Jihyo shouted when the two of them appeared,

Jihyo was the leader of the patrol, she decided who went where and when. Usually she would let Chaeyoung and Tzuyu slide, having a soft spot for the duo. But right now she looked irate. Immediately both knew something was wrong, Jihyo never looked that dishevelled. Plus, while most of the patrol teams had already gone, there were still a lot of people waiting around. Mina was one of them, off to one side talking to Sana and Momo. The older couple appearing to tease her as she stared at Chaeyoung.

Tzuyu tried to ignore them, instead choosing to look at Dahyun, Jeongyeon and Nayeon who stood off behind Jihyo. They looked worried. What had happened?

“Sorry,” Chaeyoung said, holding her hands up, “Lost track of time.”

“That’s not good enough!” Jihyo shouted,

Nayeon approached and back hugged Jihyo, “Relax, Ji. We’ll find them.”

Tzuyu perked up, “What’s happened?”

The leader swallowed, “Jackson and Daniel went for evening patrol yesterday, I thought they’d stayed at the checkpoint to wait out the storm but…”

Chaeyoung swallowed, “They’re not back?”

Jihyo looked down and shook her head.

Daniel was Jihyo’s fiancé, a good guy. All the girls approved of him for their leader. They had been dating for as long as anyone could remember and never strayed. The couple were good together and made a great team. Jihyo would organise group patrols and Daniel would lead them.

Tzuyu reached out and took Jihyo’s hand, “We’ll find him.”

Big eyes blinked back tears and Jihyo whispered a “Thank you.”

They walked away to finalise arrangements and Chaeyoung turned to Tzuyu, “Is it Jihyo?”

“Huh?”

“Your crush…is it Jihyo?”

“No!” Tzuyu snapped shoving her, “Jihyo’s like my big sister.”

Chaeyoung huffed, “Fine.”

Jihyo called them and the group huddled round, Chaeyoung being pushed next to Mina by a giggling Sana. After a quick briefing they set off over the snow. The checkpoint was in the centre of Seoul which wasn’t too far from where they made their compound. They knew the safest route and so only encountered a few runners on the way. They made quick work of them and were able to see the checkpoint before dark.

Making their way inside the checkpoint (it had once been a record label building, JY…D? C?) Jihyo looked defeated. She had hoped they would be here. As the others barricaded the door so that they could stay the night, Tzuyu walked over to the check-in sheet. Every team that passed through the check point had to record their stay.

_January 14 th \- Mark and Jimin - All clear._

_January 15 th \- Gowon and Yeri - Couple clickers in a nearby store, cleared them out. Nothing since._

_January 16th - Daniel and Jackson - ~~All clear~~ Clicker by the old SM building. Will go get it before heading back._

“They were here!” Tzuyu called out, earning everyone’s attention, “They went to the SM building on their way back.”

“Maybe they got stuck somewhere there?” Jeongyeon asked,

“If they ran into trouble they could have gone to Safe House 2.” Jihyo reasoned,

“Then they’re safe.” Sana pulled Jihyo to a chair, “We can’t go anywhere now, so lets all rest and head out first thing tomorrow.”

The lights suddenly came on and Momo, whom Tzuyu never noticed leaving, walked in from the closet. They stored a generator in there for exactly this situation. The girls all got chairs and sat in a circle, Chaeyoung once again being pushed by the elder girls towards Mina. They ate some of the food they brought and at one point Jihyo left them to go get some air on the attached balcony. To fill the awkward silence after her abrupt leave Jeongyeon decided they play a game. Tzuyu had opted out of this instantly, they were playing Truth or Dare and she was not a fan.

“Sana,” Nayeon asked, evil smile on her face, “Truth or dare?”

They were a few rounds in now and everyone was getting braver.

“Dare!” Sana smirked back, unable to back away from a challenge,

“Hmm…” Nayeon thought for a moment, “Sit on the lap of the person you find sexiest.”

Sana snorted and immediately stood. Tzuyu laughed as the older girl began walking towards Nayeon, the eldest being immediately flustered at the unprepared move. However, Sana changed direction at the last second and fell onto Momo. Momo just wrapped her arms round Sana and cuddled into her back. After seeming to regain clarity, Nayeon cleared her throat.

“You’re turn, Sana.”

Sana’s grin became mischievous, “Chaengieeee!”

Chaeyoung gulped audibly.

“Truth or dare?”

Chaeyoung studied her a moment, she did not trust any dare Sana came up with, “Truth.”

Sana, expecting this answer, had her question ready, “Do you like Mina?”

Mina face-palmed and Tzuyu’s chest ached.

“I-NO! NO WAY! I mean…as a friend…”

Chaeyoung caught Mina’s sad look.

“...okay…maybe more than a friend…”

Mina perked up and met her eyes.

“...like a lot more. Like…love…kinda…sorta…maybe…”

If Tzuyu wasn’t so utterly destroyed by what she was witnessing she would have made fun of Chaeyoung’s embarrassing confession.

“Really?” Mina’s shy voice asked,

Chaeyoung let a warm smile spread on her face, nerves gone. Mina had that effect on her.

“I love you Mina.”

Mina started smiling, a happy, gummy smile, “I love you too, Chaeng.”

Tzuyu saw how they looked at each other, the pure admiration in their eyes. Their eyeballs may as well have been love heart shaped. She put down the water bottle she had been drinking and whispered to no one in particular that she needed some air. Nobody was listening, obviously, they were too wrapped up in MiChaeng’s googly eyes.

“GAYYY!!!!”

“Jeongyeon!”

Tzuyu stepped out on the balcony, closing the door softly behind her. Jihyo didn’t look at her, just kept staring across the landscape. The balcony wasn’t that visible from the main street so as long as they were quiet they’d be safe. Hell, there could be someone shooting at them and Tzuyu would still rather be out here right now. She stood next to Jihyo and looked up at the stars.

“How you doing?” Jihyo asked after a while,

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”

Jihyo smiled softly, “I’ve been worrying for the past few hours, I’d love to talk about anything else.”

Tzuyu hummed, “Chaeyoung and Mina just confessed to each other.”

“Yeah?” Jihyo finally turned to her, “And how do you feel about that?”

“Well Chaeyoung will finally stop gushing about her and their both a good match--”

“No, no,” Jihyo interrupted, turning Tzuyu to face her, “How are YOU feeling?”

“W-What do you mean?” Tzuyu tried looking away but a soft hand pulled her chin back,

“I see how you look at her,” Jihyo explained, “How you follow her like a lost puppy. You may be stone faced to everyone else but I know you Tzu…you’re my little sister.”

Tzuyu felt her eyes well up, “It hurts. A lot. But mostly I just feel guilty…”

“Guilty?”

“She’s my best friend, I should want her to be happy. But I’m sat there wishing Mina would break her heart so that I could pick up the pieces. I’m the worst friend.”

“Tzuyu-ah, if you were a bad friend you would be telling Chae that Mina is bad news. You wouldn’t care that Mina loves her, or that she’s a good fit. You stepped back and made things simpler, because you want Chaeyoung to be happy.”

Tzuyu sighed, they remained silent for a while. The elder girl warmed her hands on the heaters that kept the balcony warm. Jihyo knew the conversation wasn’t over, Tzuyu would sometimes space out when she was thinking things through. Emotions didn’t come naturally to her and so she needed a moment to process.

“I think it’s time I leave the compound.”

Well she hadn’t expected that, “Tzuyu…”

Tzuyu held up a hand, “Not for long, I’ve been thinking recently about my mother. I want to find the men that killed her.”

“Revenge never ends well, Tzu.”

“I know,” Tzuyu nodded, “But I can’t move on until I’ve dealt with it. I need to find them and work out what my move is. Maybe I find them and do nothing, maybe I go back to that house and they’re gone. Maybe I find the Fireflies and my brother on the way. I don’t know. But I have to try.”

Jihyo looked lost, “Please, think about what you’re saying. If this is about Chaeyoung--”

“It’s not!” Tzuyu sighed, “Okay…partly. But not because of Mina! I got so wrapped up in her I never grieved the love I lost. I owe it to my mother to at least mourn her.”

“Let me go with you,” Jihyo begged, “We’ll find Daniel and I’m sure he’ll come too!”

“Jihyo,” Tzuyu offered a sad smile, “Before, I relied on my mother to protect me. Then I relied on Chaeyoung to make me happy. I need to do something for myself. To prove I can live independently. There’s nothing for me back at the compound anyway…”

“I’m there, your family are there!” Jihyo let tears roll,

“You guys are my home,” Tzuyu said softly, “I will always come home.”

Jihyo pulled her into a tight hug, “I’ve lost Daniel, I can’t lose you too.”

“Hey! We’re going to find him, okay?” Tzuyu soothed, “And you’ll never lose me, we’re family.”

They stood out there in that embrace for a long time, long after the others fell asleep. In the morning when Jeongyeon came to find them, they were cuddled up together by the wall. Keeping each other warm and safe, like a family does.

_____

The safe houses were dotted throughout the city and areas surrounding the compound. They were all basement levels and everyone was instructed not to kill any infected in the upper levels unless necessary. It was like free security. As the infected had been there a long time they were now well past the Stalker stage leaving them blind and easy to sneak past. It was a little harder with nine of them though.

To stop the infected getting out to the street the only entrance and exit was through a tiny window at the back of the building. They had sound proofed it but with the amount of them they went in pairs. Tzuyu and Chaeyoung offered to go last, masks on so that they didn’t inhale any spores. After leaving an appropriate amount of time they slipped through the window.

“So, you and Mina huh?” Tzuyu asked, trying to will herself to just be happy for her friend,

“Yeah!” Tzuyu could hear her smile, “I can’t believe it really happened…”

“Me either.”

“A girl like her? Liking me?” Chaeyoung sighed wistfully, “It was like a fairy tale.”

Tzuyu stopped, “Well why wouldn’t she like you?”

“Come on, Tzu.” Chaeyoung chuckled, “I’m gay and angsty. Not exactly the cool suave lesbian type, girls don’t gravitate towards me.”

They began walking again.

“Maybe they do and you’re just oblivious to it?”

“Yeah, maybe….” Chaeyoung turned to Tzuyu,

Tzuyu couldn’t see past her gas mask, but she could hear the gears in Chaeyoung’s brain go into overdrive. Tzuyu began moving faster, scolding herself for her wording. The shorter girl jogged to catch up.

“Tzuyu,” She began, “Who did you say your crush was?”

“Uhh, I didn’t.”

“Tzuyu…”

“What?”

“I need to know.”

“Just let it go, Chae.”

“I can’t. You need to tell me now.”

“Why!?”

“Because if it’s me I have a right to know.”

“...”

“Tzuyu!”

“Fine, it’s you - okay? Happy?” Tzuyu snapped,

Chaeyoung paused, “Obviously not, why didn’t you tell me?”

Tzuyu groaned, “I tried, but you began fawning over Mina so I decided to step back.”

“Oh..”

“Yeah. Oh.”

Chaeyoung began to say something else, but Tzuyu shushed her. A clicking sound from outside the current room they were in was getting closer. Both drew their guns, just in case and paused. The Clicker wandered in, the girls holding their breath as it got closer. Carefully, they began moving towards the wall. Once they got there Tzuyu looked around for anything useful, to her luck there was a stray brick.

She picked it up and threw it as hard as she could out of the door and into the hallway they had just come in from. The infected let out a raw and began running as best it could down the hallway towards the noise. Once far enough away the duo ran out the room undetected. They stayed silent as they passed more Clickers along the way, only this time they managed to keep a distance.

However, they could only relax properly once they closed the door to what had once been a break room. The room was sound proof and in the corner was a grate leading to the basement safe house. They removed their masks, the room got sunlight through the skylight so no fungus grew in the room. Tzuyu moved to open the grate but Chaeyoung grabbed her arm.

“Wait.”

“Chaeyoung, please.” Tzuyu groaned, “I’m embarrassed enough.”

“I’m sorry.”

“What?”

“I’m sorry,” Chaeyoung sighed, “I’m sorry for being insensitive and oblivious. I’m sorry for making you feel weird. I’m sorry I don’t love you that way. I do love you Tzuyu, just not the way you want. You’re family to me.”

Surprisingly, it didn’t make her feel as good as when Jihyo said it. When Chaeyoung called her family it just left a bitter taste in her mouth.

“It’s fine,” Tzuyu sighed, “You didn’t know.”

“I knew you were pulling away, I should have asked why. I should have focused on my best friend.”

_Friend…that’s all I’ll be._

“Let’s just forget it.”

“Okay…” Chaeyoung didn’t sound too sure,

Tzuyu squeezed her arm, “We’re fine, okay? I’ll get over it.”

Chaeyoung nodded, that was enough for her.

They finally lifted the grate and went down the ladder. Immediately they were met with a joyous sight, Jihyo crying with her arms wrapped round her injured fiancé. A broken leg, nothing irreversible. Daniel looked tired but was unbitten and alive. But he was also alone which was worrying.

“We went after that Clicker and ran into a horde,” He explained, “We nearly didn’t make it but eventually we got to the safe house. Once we were inside we looked over our injuries…”

Daniel swallowed and looked down.

“Jackson got bit. He told me to get down here and leave him behind.”

“We didn’t see any runners on the way.” Dahyun said, “Think he went somewhere else?”

“It’s day three, right?” Mina asked, receiving a nod, “He might have reached the Stalker stage.”

“Shit..” Jeongyeon cursed,

“Right,” Jihyo stood, “We need to get this bone set, just long enough to get back to the compound for a proper medic. Sana we need something straight and something to tie his leg to it. Momo, get the medicine kit - we need morphine. Everyone else, rest up. Once this bone is set we need to get out of here. Clear?”

“Yes ma’am.”

Tzuyu smiled to herself, leader Jihyo was back in action.

Said smile faded when she saw Mina and Chaeyoung cuddling up on one of the cots.

_____

After an hour they were ready. To his credit Daniel was insistent that he could limp until they encountered Clickers. Getting to the exit was slow, eventually Tzuyu (as the strongest) had to carry the injured man. They even killed two Clickers when they got a step too close. But eventually they made it to the exit, closing the door to the room so no unwanted guests got in while they got Daniel through the window.

“Jeongyeon, Momo - go through first and help him up.” Jihyo ordered quietly,

They climbed through straight away and Tzuyu helped Daniel get on the desk used to boost them to the window. Jeongyeon and Momo dragged him up as the others helped stop his leg from getting knocked. Once he was through the others began to follow, Dahyun first then Sana and Mina after her. Mina was just standing up outside the building when suddenly Tzuyu heard a shift behind them.

A figure sprinted from the corner towards Chaeyoung. Out of instinct Tzuyu moved, shoving Chaeyoung out the way so that she herself was tackled to the floor instead. She looked up and met eyes she used to know.

Jackson’s eyes were no longer warm and welcoming, instead they were bright orange. She didn’t know him.

They grappled for a moment, rolling away from the group as Jihyo and Chaeyoung pulled their gun out. One shot from the silenced pistol in Chaeyoung’s hand made their old friend fall limp. Tzuyu immediately shoved him away from her, curling into the wall away from them. She was clutching her arm.

“Tzuyu?” Chaeyoung called,

“H-He bit me…”

“What?”

“He bit me.”

Chaeyoung took a step forward.

“Stop! Please…” Tzuyu looked at her, fear in her eyes, “I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

“You wont…” Chaeyoung told her, tears leaking down her cheeks, she stepped forward but Jihyo pulled her back, “There has to be something we can do.”

“Chae go up.” Jihyo ordered softly,

“Why?”

“Chae…”

“What are you going to do!?” Chaeyoung snapped,

“What I have to.” Jihyo looked at the angry girl, tears in her own eyes, “She’ll become dangerous.”

“So?”

“We can’t let her hurt anyone.”

“NOBODY COMES HERE!”

“YOU THINK I WANT TO!?”

Suddenly, the unmistakable sound of clicking came from outside the door as infected tried to open it.

“Chae…” Tzuyu called, sniffling a little, “Go, please. I don’t want to hurt anyone, I don’t want to be one of them.”

Chaeyoung’s anger faded, she looked so small now. So defeated. She looked to Jihyo again, God Jihyo. Jihyo almighty. If anyone could save Tzuyu it was her.

But she just shook her head, even Gods had their limits.

“Hey,” Tzuyu called, a small, watery smile on her face, “It’s okay. Please…I don’t want you to see this.”

Chaeyoung walked forward, kneeling before her friend. Her dear friend. Whom she loved as a sister, her family. It filled her with guilt as she finally noticed how Tzuyu stared back at her. A look she herself had sent to Mina. Tzuyu loved her truly and deeply, enough to have risked her life to save hers. How could she not have seen it? How could she not love her back? Life was cruel that way. Chaeyoung loved Mina and she felt so guilty because of that.

Chaeyoung couldn’t love Tzuyu the way she wanted.

So instead she leaned forward and pecked her cheek softly, “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Funny how the same statement can hold two different meanings.

A hand clapped on Chaeyoung’s shoulder, Jeongyeon had come back in to get her. Gently she tried to pull her away.

“No…”

“Come on.” Jeongyeon pulled harder,

Chaeyoung shrugged her arm off, “No!”

Jeongyeon grabbed her and began pulling Chaeyoung to the window where Momo had dropped down to help her. Both of them were crying too but neither of them said anything, they didn’t have the words. Tzuyu found it too hard to watch, so she closed her eyes. Opting to listen to Chaeyoung’s distress rather than witness it.

“No…no! Let me go! TZUYU! PLEASE DON’T DO THIS, JIHYO! PLEASE….pleaase…”

Then sobs as the smaller girl was forced out the window.

When Tzuyu opened her eyes it was just her and Jihyo. She stood carefully, still a bit winded from the tussle. Slowly, she released her grip on her arm and showed Jihyo dirty, yet unbroken skin. The older girl looked stunned.

“He didn’t bite you.”

“I can explain…”

“Tzuyu!” Jihyo whispered, “What the fuck!?”

“If I said I was leaving you or Chaeyoung would follow.” Tzuyu explained, “I had to.”

“This…this is cruel.”

“Better she mourn me now than to mourn later.”

The banging on the door reminded them of their limited time. The wood was beginning to give.

“If I go and I don’t come back, Chaeyoung will have already moved on.”

“And if you do come back? What then?”

“I’ll tell her the truth.” Tzuyu promised, “And take any consequence. But I have to do this Jihyo, alone.”

Jihyo stared at her, “Think about what you’re asking me.”

“I know, I know.” Tzuyu sighed, “But please, I have to do this.”

Jihyo studied her one more time, then raised her gun towards the door where a Clicker’s head was now visible. She took off her silencer and shot. The Clicker died quickly and when the second took it’s place Jihyo reattached the silencer and shot again.

Silence.

Footsteps.

Tzuyu was pulled into another hug. This time she hugged back just as hard.

“Come home.”

“I will.”

“Take whatever from the safe house, I’ll restock it.”

“Thank you.”

Jihyo pulled away and held Tzuyu’s face in her hands, “Come back to us.”

Tzuyu nodded and Jihyo tore herself away, wiping her tears as she climbed through the window.

And once again Tzuyu was all alone. She looked at Jackson’s fallen form and sighed. It was the right choice, sure it was cruel. It was painful. But it felt like her only clean escape. Chaeyoung was loyal, she would have followed Tzuyu to the ends of the earth. She couldn’t let that happen, not when her friend finally got the girl. A girl that wasn't her.

Now Tzuyu was independent, she only had herself to rely on. Pulling out her gun she checked the ammo, it was enough in case any more Clickers got too close. There was a map in the safe house and Tzuyu had engrained the location of her mothers final resting place into her memory. Waiting for this moment.

Tzuyu was ready. Finally, she was going to get revenge for her family and if she couldn’t maybe she’d find the Fireflies. Her brother would welcome her with open arms. Either way, it was time for Tzuyu to have an adventure. On her own, out in the world. Was she scared? Of course. But at least the only person who would still care about her was Jihyo. Her friends would grieve, but would also move forward with their lives.

Maybe they would be too angry to accept her return? That’s fine. She’d rather them be angry at her than hopeful of a return that would never come. For once, Tzuyu was going to be selfish. She had earned that. The world OWED her that.

So she would go on her adventure and one day return to beg forgiveness.

She would return home to her family.

She had too.

Because Tzuyu really didn’t want to die all alone.


	2. The Last of Her

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was meant to be a oneshot but then something happened in my personal life and I don’t know how to handle anger/hurt so HERE IT IS!
> 
> ALSO HAPPY BIRTHDAY FIONA!!
> 
> Another quick cheat sheet:
> 
> Quarantine Zones - Areas where civilian now live that are run by FEDRA
> 
> Fireflies - A militia group. “They revolted against military oppression in numerous Quarantine Zones in the hopes of eventually restoring the US government”
> 
> FEDRA - Basically soldiers in charge of various quarantine zones. Acting government.

** **Last of Her** **

** **

It had been a week.

A long, miserable week.

Tzuyu was gone but the space she had left was felt by all. Nayeon had organised a funeral. She believed their dear friend deserved a good send off. Jeongyeon and Momo had signed up for as many patrols as they could. Their rage at the situation better being channelled against the infected. Sana was always the more emotional in the group, she hadn’t stopped crying since the fatal gunshot sounded. Mina tried to offer comfort to the others, but eventually it felt as though she was drowning herself.

As for Jihyo and Chaeyoung?

Jihyo had become somewhat of an outcast. While nobody held her accountable for what happened, it was a reality that they had all considered, many where still shocked that she could just do it. She could raise her gun and shoot her friend, with no remorse. Jihyo had been stone-faced since the incident, refusing to even discuss it. Everyone knew that their next patrol could be their last, they knew that they would rather die than become a monster.

But Jihyo could look her friend, her SISTER in the eye and still shoot. It was just hard for everyone to get their head around. Only Daniel knew the absolute truth, the rest had to settle for their own imagination.

Chaeyoung was still grieving. She had hardly left her bed in days, having been excused from patrol. The only times Mina could convince her to leave their cabin, she would only walk to the willow tree that Tzuyu had adored. She had engraved the fallen girl’s initials on it in her memory, Tzuyu would have hated the desecration of the tree but it was still a loving tribute. It was only under the tree, where she felt safe, that she would finally let sobs wrack her body. It was so far from anything else, nobody could hear her let out her pain. She was safe to scream into the sky. She would blame everyone; Tzuyu for saving her, Jihyo for killing her best friend, herself for not realising how much pain she had caused.

She would scream and cry. Punch the tree till her knuckles were raw before throwing herself down on the ground. Soon she would tire out and it would be then that Mina would finally approach and guide her back to bed. It was during this time that Chaeyoung’s love for Mina really grew. The girl didn’t interfere or tell her to move forward like everyone else. She just stayed nearby, always there if Chaeyoung needed her.

But even Mina’s guiding hand didn’t make it easier to leave the house that day. Chaeyoung was stood in front of the mirror in the closest thing she had to “nice” clothes. It didn’t feel right. Usually when she wore these it was a happy occasion, Tzuyu would usually be making fun of her. Chaeyoung always hated dressing up. To make it better she’d usually run next door and borrow one of Tzuyu’s long shirts that could pass as her dress.

_“It looks so long on you! Dwarf!”_

Chaeyoung felt the ache in her chest. Now all of Tzuyu’s things were boxed up in storage. They would divide them up later today between the eight of them. Truthfully there wasn’t much in the boxes that Chaeyoung wanted, just one thing. Tzuyu and her mother had once had matching obsidian necklaces, Tzuyu wasn’t wearing hers the day of the rescue mission. This meant it would be in one of those boxes.

All the girls knew Chaeyoung wanted that. None of them would fight her for it, the same way they wouldn’t fight Jihyo for a stuffed dog Tzuyu also owned. Jihyo had got Minjoong for Tzuyu shortly after she arrived at the compound. Besides Chaeyoung, Tzuyu hadn’t really known anyone and so to make her feel welcome Jihyo brought a stuffed dog back that she had found on patrol. She had washed it and fixed it up before giving it to her.

Tzuyu had adored him. It had marked the beginning of the sisterly love shared by Jihyo and Tzuyu.

Part of Chaeyoung knew Jihyo was grieving too, but had yet to approach her. She couldn’t. Knowing that Jihyo was the reason her best friend wasn’t here. Sure, she did what she had to do. But she didn’t even hesitate. Honestly, Chaeyoung’s faith in God Jihyo died that day. She was once positive Jihyo could do anything. Need extra rations? Go to Jihyo! Need a hug? Go to Jihyo! A newcomer made an inappropriate comment? Go to Jihyo and bring a baseball bat!

But Jihyo couldn’t save Tzuyu. She didn’t even try to. It was like Chaeyoung finally saw Jihyo for what she was, human. Not some God-like figure or omnipresent entity, just human. A person, a fucking useless person. So no. Chaeyoung hadn’t seen Jihyo since that day. Since she had stepped out the window and dusted her hands on her jeans while the fatal bullet still rang in Chaeyoung’s ears.

Because as far as she was concerned, the Jihyo she knew died with Tzuyu.

Chaeyoung would never forgive her.

A soft hand landed on her shoulder, shocking her back to reality, “You ready?”

Chaeyoung’s own shaky hand covered Mina’s, “No, but I suppose I’ll have to be.”

Suddenly, she was pulled into a back hug, meeting her girlfriend’s eyes in the mirror. No words were said, they had this silent understanding. Today wasn’t about them and what they had, it was for Tzuyu. Chaeyoung owed it to her to make her the focus, just once. She could only pray Tzuyu was watching over them so that she could see it. See that Chaeyoung was finally putting her first.

They walked out of Chaeyoung’s cabin and could feel the weight of the air. The atmosphere itself was heavy, there was no sound. Everyone they passed looked solemn. All heading towards the graveyard. A lot of people died these days and they were always given a grave plot, even without the body. Dahyun had offered to lead the funeral, she was the only one who could probably get through it without crying.

Chaeyoung didn’t listen to a word. She was too distracted, staring at the wooden cross with Tzuyu’s name dug into it. Resting on top was a mountain of flowers. Usually Chaeyoung would have rolled her eyes and began her rant about flowers being a terrible gift. Why buy someone something that will take a tremendous amount of care only to inevitably wither and die? That was an awful metaphor. Right now, however, Chaeyoung wished she had brought one too.

Something as beautiful and pure as Tzuyu was in life.

After staring at the pile of flowers for what felt like an hour, she was once again brought back to reality by Mina’s soft touch. She looked round and found everyone else staring back at her.

“Chae? You wanna say something? You knew her best.” Dahyun called from the front,

Chaeyoung looked around, nervousness present on her face. Then she locked eyes with _her_. Jihyo had obviously noted her fear and Chaeyoung knew she was about to step forward and “save” her. But she didn’t deserve to speak. She didn’t deserve to have Tzuyu’s name on her lips. So instead Chaeyoung took a step forward, using the momentum to make her way to the front.

“Tzuyu…” She began, looking out over everyone, “Would have hated this.”

A chuckle went through the audience.

“She was always so shy and reserved, I think having so many people focusing on her would have given her a heart attack.” Chaeyoung smiled, “That’s who she was. So shy and insecure, loved animals more than people because if an animal hurts you they’ll rip your face off not stab you in the back. She would bend over backwards for her friends. Loyal..to a fault.”

Her voice began breaking.

“Tzuyu was beautiful too, like it was unreal. She was this genetic lottery win, beautiful inside and out. I used to wonder, on the rare occasion she showed her insecurity, whether she knew how truly beautiful she was. How loved she was…how loved she is.” Chaeyoung blinked and tears rolled down her cheeks, “Tzuyu gave her life for mine, it’s something I’ve been getting my head around all week. How someone could be so selfless and put themselves in harms way to save someone else. Like I said, loyal to a fault.”

There was silence and Chaeyoung cleared her throat, trying to stop the wobble in her voice.

“I loved Tzuyu, she was my family. I have a lot of regrets about how I treated her the days before her death, things I have to live with. But I know she would want us all to move forward, to live our lives. Hell, if it were up to her we’d have all forgotten she existed by now. So lets not make today a sad day. We’ll go to the tavern and have a party - which she also would have hated.”

Another chuckle.

“But ultimately she’d still attend, because watching us all dance like drunken idiots would make her smile. And I would do anything to see that smile again.” She looked to the grave, wiping her eyes, “Goodbye, Tzuyu. We’ll meet again one day and I’ll have so much to tell you.”

Then she kissed her finger tips and pressed them to the wooden cross.

A few more people spoke but it was clear nobody could follow Chaeyoung’s speech. Soon everyone moved to the tavern while the eight remaining girls went to the storage to sift through Tzuyu’s things. None of them wanted to. As they stood there staring at what was left of their dear friend, not one of them wanted to open the boxes.

It was the only thing left before they would be forced to accept that she was gone.

Chaeyoung rolled her eyes when Jihyo broke rank first, heading to the first box and gently pulling it off the pile. Truthfully someone had to start, but Chaeyoung was still in the anger stage of grief. One by one each girl took a box and began searching through them. Nobody spoke. The only sound was Sana’s soft crying, eventually this turned to sobs and Momo led her out so that the others weren’t disturbed.

Each girl divided the items with Mina finding some things Momo and Sana would like in their absence. Chaeyoung only had an old hoodie clutched in her hands as she searched box after box for the necklace. One by one the girl’s left to join the wake at the tavern but Chaeyoung continued to search. She grew more and more distressed practically tipping things out and searching in vain. Mina offered to search Tzuyu’s cabin again to check they hadn’t missed it.

This left Chaeyoung and Jihyo alone.

Chaeyoung flung the final box away from her, trying to remember if she saw Tzuyu wearing it the day she died. But no, she would never wear it on patrol in case she lost it. She broke down in sobs, the one thing she had wanted. The only thing she wanted to remember Tzuyu by was gone. That necklace was the only thing Tzuyu had to remind her of her mother and Chaeyoung longed to honour that legacy. Do something for Tzuyu by keeping it safe.

There were footsteps next to her and Chaeyoung opened her eyes, expecting it to be Mina. Instead she found Jihyo, holding out a long, thin box.

“I just found it on the floor.”

Chaeyoung took the box tentatively and opened it. Relief flooded through her when she saw what was inside. A thick piece of thread with an obsidian stone attached. The necklace. She stood abruptly, forgetting the hoodie on the floor for a moment. She immediately put it around her neck and turned to thank Jihyo…before remembering what she had done.

Jihyo noticed the change, “Chae…”

“Don’t. Thanks for finding this.” Chaeyoung swiped up the hoodie and made to escape,

Only Jihyo grabbed her arm, “Chaeyoung, please.”

“What!? Jihyo? WHAT!” She turned and glared at her leader,

“Please, just listen.”

“Why should I?”

“I understand that you’re angry but--”

“But what!?” Chaeyoung snapped, “You killed her.”

Jihyo looked down, “I did what she asked me to do.”

There was a scoff.

“You didn’t even hesitate! You shot her point blank!”

“I didn’t…Chaeyoung, you weren’t there.”

“So?”

“You don’t know what happened.”

“Then tell me!” Chaeyoung shouted,

Throwing down the proverbial gauntlet.

Jihyo went silent.

“Well?” Chaeyoung sneered, “Tell me where I’m wrong.”

Jihyo didn’t say a word, she couldn’t.

“You know what,” Chaeyoung growled, “Fuck you.”

She span on her heel and headed for the door.

“What would you have done?”

She stopped, caught off guard with her hand on the doorknob.

Jihyo was staring at her now, “Would you have done it?”

“Of course not…”

“You think it was easy?”

Chaeyoung turned to look at her friend. Jihyo looked like she hadn’t slept all week, eyes brimming with unshed tears and regret.

“Do you think it was easy for me to point my gun at her?” Jihyo continued, “Knowing the pain she was feeling, knowing the pain we’d all be put through.”

“Then why do it?” Chaeyoung whispered,

“Because she asked me to.” Jihyo told her firmly, “She begged me to. I loved her enough to give her an out.”

Chaeyoung stayed quiet.

Jihyo began walking towards her, “Don’t think I did what I did out of anything except love. Don’t stand there and accuse me of things you didn’t witness. Don’t you EVER say that I found any part of it easy. Because every night my last conversation with her weighs on my mind and I promised her I wouldn’t tell anyone about it. It’s my burden to bare and I will gladly bare it. So don’t you stand there and tell me that I didn’t hesitate because you don’t fucking know what happened that day.”

Silence.

Chaeyoung mustered up the little courage she had left, “So are we done here?”

“Yeah…” Jihyo told her, “We’re done.”

_____

Tzuyu recognised the building the moment she saw it.

The circular building hidden behind tall walls labelled “KEEP OUT” in black paint. Tzuyu already had her gun drawn, she wouldn’t let her guard down this time. It had been a long time and she was older and wiser now. She approached the front, the walls didn’t close properly leaving a gap at the bottom for her to squeeze through. It was how she and her mother had gotten in all those years ago.

Every few minutes she would stop and listen to the surroundings, she refused to let anybody sneak up on her. Before he left to join the Fireflies, her brother would play these sorts of games with her. Seven year old Tzuyu had to get from point A to point B without him catching her. Their mother would watch from afar and laugh when he inevitably startled her and she shouted at him. The nostalgia of that memory gave way to sadness. She was all alone now. No Mama, No Yixing - just Tzuyu.

Maybe once this was over she should try and find him?

Her last memory of him was back in the Taipei Quarantine Zone. The zones in Taiwan were few, the island too small to prevent being overrun. The day before one of Tzuyu’s friends had fallen and scraped her arm, someone reported it as a bite rather than a scrape. She was 10 years old. They pulled her friend from her house and shot her in the street.

Yixing and her Mama had fought that night. He thought FEDRA had gone too far, they were playing God. She argued that she had plans to leave, a boat had been arranged to get them off of the death trap they lived on. He thought that wasn’t enough. She thought he was being irrational. By that morning her brother had gone, leaving a note that he had gone to join the Fireflies. Tzuyu wasn’t even allowed to mention him after that.

She subconsciously reached for her favourite necklace, only to be reminded once again that she had left it behind. That was one of her regrets, that she hadn’t been able to collect her things. Most of them would have been thrown away by now. Her photos, her necklace, Minjoong…

She was embarrassed to admit the pang in her heart at the thought of Minjoong. He’d be so sad…

Tzuyu was close to the building now, switching on high alert. Last time she was here she remembered feeling cold and exhausted. This time it was different, she was stronger, wiser, braver. Dressed in warm clothes she found in the safe house, she was ready. Tzuyu had long since got over her moral principles about killing these men. She had killed hundreds of infected and malicious intruders.

This was her moment.

It all began feeling painfully familiar. Recognised from her recurring nightmares, she continued up the same path she followed before. Once again, the place looked locked up pretty tight. Tzuyu cursed a little when she realised she would have to find an entrance.

Tzuyu began circling the building looking for an entrance. It had been locked down pretty tight and she was moving slowly so that anyone inside would be less likely to hear her. There was an intense feeling of deja-vu, after a moment Tzuyu realised why. She was now stood below the small window. The same one her mother had been trying to open when that man snuck up on them.

The spot looked innocent to unknowing eyes, but Tzuyu knew what had happened where she stood. Her eyes immediately noticed the red spots that still painted the wall. The body was gone, but now more than ever Tzuyu felt her presence. She could cry later, for now she had to get inside before she met the same fate. Swallowing her emotion, she looked around the area - making sure nobody was around to catch her.

Nothing, it was as silent as the dead.

Carefully, she tried to remove the window. Only to find it had been screwed shut. With a curse under her breath, Tzuyu sank to the ground and found the screwdriver in the backpack. She looked around again, then stood and began unscrewing the window. Each screw felt like it was taking forever, she kept looking around and could hear her heartbeat in her ears.

When it came loose she nearly cried. But instead she tried to listen for anyone inside before dropping her bag through and climbing in after it. It was a tight fit but she was in. Her landing on the other side was less than graceful, landing nearly face first on the ground, but she didn’t hear anyone coming to investigate.

The building was cold as she made her way round, it didn’t take long for her to realise it was abandoned. Tzuyu refused to stop though, there had to be someone. There just had to be or else this was all for nothing. Then she saw it, the door to the final room was cracked open and light was flooding out of it.

She dropped into her defensive position, pistol out. She couldn’t hear anyone talking, but it was getting late so they could have been sleeping. Tzuyu took a deep breath, now or never. With a short countdown in her head, she kicked the door open and jumped in. Pistol ready to fire.

Empty.

A bunk bed, desk, lights and fresh food but no people.

And her heart just broke.

She sank to her knees and couldn’t keep the emotion back any more. She vaguely heard her gun clatter to the floor, but she wouldn’t need it. There was no one here. It was all for nothing, she would never get to finish this. She sobbed into her hands and whispered apologies over and over again to her mother. How could they just be gone? The stress, the loneliness, the grief finally hit full force and she broke down. Whoever was here had left recently in a rush, taking all their stuff with them minus some papers on the desk.

“Mama,” Tzuyu whispered into the room, “Forgive me, please. I didn’t get here in time…I’m sorry…I’m so sorry.”

A drop of water landed on her head, followed by another. A leak in the ceiling, she looked up at the sound of sudden rain. Then she saw it. Pinned to a cork-board on the wall, a necklace with an obsidian stone. Almost as though her mother had made sure it was still there for her. With a weep she stood and pulled it from the wall. Holding it to her chest, after all these years. She couldn’t believe they kept it.

She put it round her neck and rubbed her thumb over the cold stone.

Tzuyu looked skyward, “I guess you’re not mad at me, huh?”

_CRASH_

Tzuyu went on alert.

Voices…

Footsteps…

Could it be them?

No…they wouldn’t have broken into their own territory.

Her gun was too far so instead she did the next best thing, she threw her bag under the bed and followed it underneath. Willing herself to stay quiet. Three pairs of boots walked into the room and Tzuyu didn’t move an inch.

“They’re gone…shit!” A woman’s voice cursed,

Tzuyu held her breath.

“Have a look around, they probably left something behind.”

Tzuyu tried to keep an eye of the boots as they walked round. As she followed one pair with her eyes she noticed something that made her let the breath out. Under the desk was a case with the name FEDRA on it. If these people hated FEDRA and were looking for them then they must be…

Two boots stepped into her vision and she nearly let out a sound in shock. She began praying they wouldn’t look under the bed. She watched in horror as whoever it was began searching the beds, then they began to bend down.

“Irene!” A new voice called from down the hall,

The boots stood upright again and began walking towards the door again.

“We found the exit, a garage on the west side.”

“Fantastic!” The woman, Irene, said, “We can track them once the rain settles, did you talk to the scouts?”

“Yeah…” The person trailed off before lowering their voice, “A girl was spotted climbing through the window, just before we got here.”

“Did they see her leaving?”

“No, ma’am.” The person answered, “The others are searching the building.”

“If she came through here there would have been a sign of life.” There was a pause, then a click, “Like a pistol left on the floor.”

_Shit…_

“What was that!?” A man close to her whipped round,

_I NEED TO STOP SAYING THINGS OUT LOUD!_

“Whoever you are,” Irene called out, sounding bored, “Come out. You’re not the person we’re looking for so we have no reason to hurt you. If you don’t show yourself willingly we will treat you as hostile.”

Tzuyu hesitated.

“You have till the count of three.”

If these guys were Fireflies…

“One….”

Then maybe they knew her brother?

“Two…”

Plus Tzuyu had no chance alone against FEDRA.

“Three---”

“OKAY!” Tzuyu called out, “Okay…don’t shoot, I’m coming out.”

She awkwardly slid out from under the bed, dragging her backpack with her. Four guns were aimed at her as she stood.

“Put the bag one the floor,” Irene said slowly, “And put your hands up.”

Tzuyu did as she was told, gulping as the guns never wavered.

“Kick it over to me.”

Tzuyu took a breath, “There’s a home made explosive in my bag, just in case I ran into a bloater.”

Irene looked to the girl to her right and nodded to the bag. The girl lowered her gun and walked over to retrieve the bag. Tzuyu made eye contact with the girl and she was surprised at the small smile she received. It made her feel a little better, until her eyes snapped back to Irene. This woman was terrifying.

“What’s your name?”

“Tzuyu…”

“Why did you break in here with an explosive and loaded pistol, Tzuyu?”

Tzuyu swallowed, if these were Fireflies honesty was the best policy, “A few years ago someone here killed my mother. I came to repay the favour.”

Irene raised an eyebrow, “Really? You were going to take on FEDRA?”

“I didn’t know it was FEDRA.” Tzuyu explained, “Y-Your Fireflies, right?”

Irene nodded, “We are.”

Before anything else could be said one of the men lowered his gun, “Look! The necklace.”

Irene’s laser focus moved to her chest where the obsidian stone was, she widened her eyes. She slowly walked forward and picked up the stone, “Where did you get this?”

“I-It was my mothers…mine got lost,” Okay small lie, “My brother has one too…he’s a Firefly.”

“What’s your brothers name?” Irene asked, as if she didn’t fully believe her,

“Chou Yixing,” Tzuyu told here, “He’s from Taiwan. Like me.”

“That’s Lay…” A man beside her whispered,

“Elkie!” Irene snapped, gaining the attention of the girl going through the bag, “Anything in there?”

“Just the explosive like she said, it looks pretty secure though.” Elkie said, “Otherwise just a journal, medical kit, food and clothes.”

“Okay. Put your arms down and sit,” Irene’s tone was softer but her gaze wasn’t, “Elkie, go and find Lay.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Elkie left the room. Tzuyu sat down on the lower bunk.

“I’m Irene,” Irene greeted, “I lead this squad, we came here to investigate a FEDRA outpost.”

“Why would FEDRA be out this far?”

“That’s what we need to find out.” Irene replied, “How long ago did your mother…pass.”

“Six years.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It was a long time ago.”

Footsteps caused Tzuyu to look to the doorway, Elkie walked in followed by someone Tzuyu only remembered from a distant dream. She slowly stood, he had aged quite a bit and he looked shocked but it was him.

“Y-Yixing?” Tzuyu whispered,

“Tzuyu…”

“Yixing!”

“Tzuyu!”

Tzuyu flew across the room and tackled him into a hug. He held her tightly, letting her sob into his shoulder. It had been so long. Years since she was a small, innocent little girl and he was a thin, scrappy little boy. But they recognised each other instantly, they had both longed to find each other again. Now that they had, Tzuyu didn’t want to let him go. After a while he pulled away and cupped her face, wiping the tears away with his thumbs.

“Look at you! You go so big!”

“What about you!?” Tzuyu was beaming, “You have muscles!”

“Hey! I always had muscles.”

“Okay noodle-arms.”

He shoved her away playfully, “Shh…where’s Mama!? Is she here?”

The joyful moment left as soon as it came and Tzuyu suddenly lost her smile. Yixing, or Lay as he was known to the others, realised the obvious meaning. He placed a hand on his shoulder, taken aback by the sudden loneliness in his sisters eyes.

“I think we have a lot to talk about.” Lay told her gently, offering a small but sad smile,

“We do.” Tzuyu breathed out,

Irene cleared her throat reminding them of the witnesses, “We’re going to sweep and secure the building. We’ll stay here tonight to avoid the rain.” She smiled, finally, “That should leave more than enough time for you to catch up.”

She lead the squad out and left the siblings alone.

The first this Tzuyu did was turn and hug her brother again. It wasn’t full of joy like the first. This was the hug he would get whenever the local boys picked on her or the thunder was too loud outside. He never forgot this particular hug, where Tzuyu would bury into his chest to shield herself. The tale he would hear over the next few hours wasn’t a nice one. But that was fine, because he was her big brother and he would protect her from now on.

For Tzuyu she hadn’t realised how much she needed this hug. She loved the family she had made at the compound but it wasn’t the same, this was her brother. Someone who knew her from before, someone who could tell her about her mother and father. Someone who would love her unconditionally. And that’s all she wanted really, to be loved by someone. He was right, they had a lot to talk about, but there was one thing Tzuyu needn’t say out loud.

Even though she was far from home.

Even though the rain was pounding outside.

Even though they were the only two people in the room.

Tzuyu didn’t feel lonely any more.

And Lay would never let her feel alone again.


	3. The Last Laugh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tzuyu gets her revenge.

****Halloween update!** **

** **

** **The Last Laugh** **

** **

It had been a year.

A long year.

A lot can happen in a long year and for the Fireflies they felt they had seen it all. Now one of their own, Tzuyu had aided in the hunt for more FEDRA guerilla camps. It appeared the latest agents had been sent to find safe zones created by stragglers, ergo not under their control. The assumed endgame was that FEDRA would take over these zones in an attempt to prevent the growth of the Fireflies.

The leaders of the Fireflies weren’t stupid, they knew that the way to earn the support of these outside safe zones was to defend them from the threats. New leadership would never be taken well, defending them would earn trust. There were now four or five communities that would be on the side of the Fireflies. All allies were vital to the cause. Not that Tzuyu really knew what the cause was.

She knew the basics, that Fireflies wanted to free the safe-zones from the harsh regulations of FEDRA. But that was never something Tzuyu cared about, her home was was her own safe-zone. With Jihyo and Nayeon…and Chaeyoung. One day she hoped to go back there. Not yet, of course. Not while her own mission was still weighing heavily on her mind.

In a year of breaking into FEDRA outposts not once had she seen the man who had killed her mother.

Since she left her old life behind she had dreamt of him every night. His face, the way he held the gun, the absolute nothing in his eyes. He was left handed, that was the main stand-out. A mole on his chin and a bald head. He stood out enough that Tzuyu would know him when she saw him. The more time went on the more desperation infiltrated, every empty outpost causing more distress than it should.

Her brother was worried, that much was obvious. Yixing would often make sure to go with her on her missions, wanting to ensure she didn’t sell her soul for revenge. He had told her once that in life everyone will always have at least one regret that keeps them up at night. Lord knows he had his. The fear was that this man, Tzuyu’s own white whale, would plague her the rest of her life even after she got her pay back.

The healthy thing would be to move on but Tzuyu just couldn’t, leaving her brother to stand aside and watch. Making sure that she was never by herself. He had been glad when Tzuyu had found a friend in Elkie, the medic taking a particular shine to the tall wannabe-mercenary. Yixing encouraged this relationship as much as he could. Mostly because his sister deserved some form of happiness over the pain of the last few years. But a more selfish side of him hoped that, once Tzuyu had found whatever she was looking for, Elkie could get her to stay.

He felt as though he couldn’t handle seeing her walk away from him the way he had from her.

Though that’s karma for you.

Tzuyu awoke first that day, she was usually up early but this was one of the rare occasions in which Irene hadn’t gotten up first. The cold leader of their squadron had become a pleasant confidant during the early morning chats shared by the duo. Irene had warmed to Tzuyu somewhat during this time, less suspicious of her intentions. She couldn’t be blamed for the initial caution. Everyone knew that nobody could be trusted, even if you thought they were friend not foe.

As she walked over to the camp fire, long since simmered out and pulled on another log. After finding the matches there was a steady fire going, the warmth soothing her against the crisp morning air. It shocked her actually, how much she enjoyed camping when they were away from base. There was something nice about waking up in nature. On these trips Irene always shared her tent with Selugi, while Tzuyu and Elkie shared the other.

Pouring soup into the cup, suspended over the flames for breakfast, Tzuyu reflected on her friendship with Elkie. It hadn’t been like her friendship with Chaeyoung, in which Tzuyu had clung to the girl for protection. No, instead it had snuck up on them both. Smiles as they passed had turned into polite hello’s and from there conversations slowly began. Day by day Elkie had found a place within Tzuyu’s own heart which she was still struggling to define.

There was a feeling in her chest whenever she locked eyes with the elder girl which felt strangely familiar. It would be a lie to say that the origin of this familiarity was a mystery. But while she knew what this feeling meant and recognising that it was most likely mutual, past experiences left a nervousness that Tzuyu just couldn’t shake.

Memories of her final private conversation with Chaeyoung ringing in her head.

“Morning.” The woman in question greeted, leaving their tent groggily,

“Good morning, soup?”

Elkie just mumbled and sat on the log next to her, cuddling into her side to doze. Tzuyu hadn’t thought much of this skinship when it had started, Sana had always clung to everyone this way and Nayeon had been known to chase Tzuyu for hours for a cuddle. But with Elkie it was different, she never cuddled up to anyone else. She never pouted or whined around witnesses, only to Tzuyu. It was strange, having someone only focusing on her, but she couldn’t say it wasn’t enjoyed.

Tzuyu smiled, pouring two small bowls of soup and handing one to her sleepy companion, “Here.”

With a little noise for a thank you, Elkie began to eat her breakfast. Tzuyu chuckled and followed suit. They didn’t say much, both just silently enjoying the morning. It was only about fifteen minutes when Irene and Selugi finally appeared out of their tent.

“As nice as having a night around the campfire is,” Irene grumbled as she cracked her back, “I really miss my bed back at base.”

Elkie rolled her eyes, “You just miss sharing a bed with Selugi without witnesses laying in the tent next door.”

Selugi laughed and Irene glared at them both. Tzuyu chuckled, she had long since learned the difference between their leader’s not-serious stare and her oh-my-god-you’re-in-trouble stare. When Irene caught her eye she raised an eyebrow, forcing Tzuyu to stifle her giggles less the teasing be turned on to her. Instead she just finished her soup.

“I don’t know what you’re laughing at Elkie,” Irene replied coldly, “I have a feeling you have someone in mind you’d like some alone time with.”

Elkie blushed and shuffled away from Tzuyu a little. The leader took her victory with a smirk and began double checking the supplies.

“So what’s the plan for today, boss lady?” Selgui asked, taking some soup from the pot,

“Splitting up.” Was the short reply, Irene not looking up from the bags, “Selugi and I--”

Elkie made a suggestive whistle and Irene ignored her.

“--will be going South to clear out the FEDRA check point. You and Tzuyu head North to where the last outpost is. That’s the last one in the area and it needs scouting. Move quick, we don’t want them finding out that the others have been destroyed. Do not engage unless you have to, just find out how many occupy the building.”

“Yes ma’am.” Tzuyu replied,

Elkie chuckled and nudged her.

When they shared a smile, the warm feeling spread through her chest again.

Tzuyu had it bad.

______

The duo arrived quickly at the final FEDRA hideout.

It appeared to be an old factory of some kind. The outside was heavily reinforced which made things a little more complicated but they’d been up against tougher obstacles. Their mission was simple, just some recon. No fight, no altercation, no danger. Nice and easy…and very boring. They had found a good vantage point in a tall tree just by the clearing between the forest and the factory. Sitting on a branch, covered in foliage for camouflage, they watched the building.

There wasn’t much going on. This left Tzuyu and Elkie to entertain themselves while they waited for something to shift. Starting with Never Have I Ever, going on to What am I Humming? and now a game of I Spy. Despite it being Spring, the early morning air still held a chill. Tzuyu had offered her coat to her companion the first time she caught her shivering. It was pleasant in a way.

Some moments in their conversation reminded Tzuyu of something similar from another lifetime. The lazy conversations with Chaeyoung, sat under their tree. It felt the same. The genuine laughter and relaxed atmosphere, no guard up or hidden meanings - all familiar. Tzuyu unable to make eye contact with her companion due to the somersaults that would begin in her stomach was eerily familiar too.

It scared her to be honest. The pain of rejection looming once more, a pain she had been desperate to escape. She tried not to think about it much, her old life. She wondered how they were doing? Had they grieved for her? Had she been forgotten? Did Chaeyoung still visit their tree? Did she bring Mina there now too?

Tzuyu swallowed and tried to push the thoughts of her previous life from her head. Chances were that her mission would never be completed, ergo she would never be satisfied returning to the safe-zone. In some ways that made it better. She could stay in her new life, with her brother and Elkie, completely guilt free. The choice never even being offered. When she first left if you had asked her to choose, she would have returned to Chaeyoung in a heartbeat. But now she wasn’t so sure.

Elkie nudged her arm, sensing her friend had drifted away from her. Tzuyu turned to send her a smile, the ice cold of the memories warmed by the smile sent by her companion. Liking Elkie was similar to liking Chaeyoung, sure. But it also had immense differences that made it new and almost exciting. Firstly, it wasn’t an attraction built off of idolisation. Tzuyu had very much put Chaeyoung on a pedestal, mostly due to her being the one to “save” her.

Tzuyu thought her small friend could do no wrong. That she would forever be the knight in shining armour. Now, there was the obvious realisation that it had been an unhealthy view to hold. Admiring a potential partner is a given, but viewing them through the proverbial rose tinted glass isn’t right. It isn’t fair on either of them and would not make an ideal relationship. She knew this now, she had made her peace with it.

But Elkie…

Elkie was equal to her. Both just young women fighting to survive and well out of their depth. They were mortal, imperfect. Tzuyu unable to let go of the past, Elkie with a serious case of foot in mouth disease. Clumsy, for a medic, with a light air of ditziness at times. Yet all these perceived imperfections, to Tzuyu, made her more endearing.

“Come on,” Elkie interrupted her thoughts, “Something beginning with F.”

Tzuyu rolled her eyes in jest before pretending to think, “Factory?”

“Nope.”

That stumped her a little, forcing her to look out across the clearing for any clues.

“Fence?”

“Wrong again!”

Tzuyu frowned.

“I see it again!”

“What!?” Tzuyu was confused,

Elkie giggled and raised her hand, tapping the dimple that appeared when her lips turned downward. Recovering from the light electric shock granted by the gentle touch, Tzuyu’s brain began to function again.

“Frown!?”

“Ding, ding, ding!” Elkie smiled,

“That’s cheating,” Tzuyu pouted, “I can’t see it and neither can you all the time!”

Elkie leaned back and shrugged, “When you were daydreaming you were frowning.”

Tzuyu sighed but chuckled. Accepting of the fact she had lost this round. Just starting to look for an item to torment Elkie into guessing, Tzuyu noticed a door open to the factory. Her sudden distraction immediately caught by her friend. Both eyed a man as he walked through the door, watching as he unlocked the side gate and wandered over to some rabbit traps. He grumbled to himself as he bent down to claim the small animal laying there.

“For…fuck…grrr!”

It appeared that the device had jammed, firmly locking the potential meal in its clutches. Had they not been trying to stay incognito, Tzuyu would have laughed at the display. After a few more attempts he sighed and yelled the name of one of his cohorts. Nothing for a moment, then a second man walked out the door to the factory.

He stepped out and Tzuyu finally got a good look at him.

The man was bald…

With an ugly mole on his chin…

And a rifle on his back, positioned to be drawn left handed.

Tzuyu’s mouth went dry. Her heart rate picked up. Something came over her that she had never felt before. A fire that consumed her, making her hot to the touch. It rushed through her veins, boiling her blood and she was sure steam was about to billow out of her ears. Tzuyu had always been a passive person, just happy with wherever she was doing whatever. Never before had she felt such a surge of negative emotion. Pure rage flaring with in her, burning hotter and hotter until…

It all stopped.

Like her mind had hit a kill switch. The burning hit simmering down until it reached an icy cold. Tzuyu wasn’t going to run off instinct for this, she couldn’t go charging in with a rage fuelled fury. No, this had to be calculated. No mistakes. Too long had she waited for this moment, she was not prepared to throw it away. This was her moment, her vendetta fulfilled. It had taken years to get here and finally she would have the last laugh.

Sensing the shift in atmosphere, Elkie side eyed her, “What’s wrong?”

“It’s him.” Tzuyu hissed,

It took her companion back, that voice didn’t sound like the usual warm tone Tzuyu’s held. While it scared her, she understood. Tzuyu had dreamt of this day since her mother had been taken from her, Elkie would follow her lead. Hell, Elkie would follow her to the ends of the earth.

“What do we do?”

Tzuyu thought for a moment, analysing her options. The men were close enough to them, with their backs turned, so it would be easy to sneak up on them. So she nodded towards them and began climbing down the tree. Getting the hint Elkie followed, dropping down next to her quietly. Slowly, they crept over. Step after step, not taking the risk of making a single sound. This moment had played out in Tzuyu’s head for years. Sure, there were a million situations in which this moment could have happened.

But the end result would stay the same.

Inching closer and closer, Tzuyu reached for the flick knife she kept in her pocket. Holding it tightly in her hand she vaguely noted that her body was trembling. Whether it was from fear or adrenaline she didn’t know. It didn’t matter, her hand would be steady where it counted. As they closed in it was notice that the bald man had his back to them. Not good enough. Tzuyu wanted him to see her, to remember what he did. To feel the karma.

She flicked open the knife.

“What was that--Hey!”

Tzuyu pounced first, grabbing her target and holding him from behind like a human shield. Knife pressed to his throat. His companion tried to step forward but at the sight of Elkie aiming down her pistol at him he stopped and held up his hands.

“You,” Tzuyu spat, “Take to bullets out of the rifle.”

The surrendered man walked slowly forward and did as requested, well aware of the gun trained on him. Once the bullets were in his hand he stood up again, eyes searching for an opening to fight back. But the butt of Elkie’s pistol had him out cold after making contact with his skull. After he crumpled to the ground Tzuyu shoved her target away from her, letting him trip over his fallen friend. Her figure loomed over him as he rolled on to his back and stared up at her.

Finally, she had him. The sick pleasure she got from that thought alone was twisted but she could self diagnose that later. For now, the focus was on the moment. The enjoyment of it. The evil delight she had watching him squirm.

“Do you remember me?”

“I-I-I…”

Tzuyu leant down, knife back on his neck.

“Do. You. Remember. Me.”

She pressed down and he let out a squeak

“I don’t I’m sorry! I don’t…I don’t…idontidontdontidooont!” He cried out desperately,

This made Tzuyu angry. Such a world ending moment for her meant sweet fuck all to this man.

“Let me remind you,” She growled, “A young girl and her mother, trying to seek shelter from the cold near the remains of Seoul…”

“R-Remains of Seoul?” Something clicked and his eyes went wide, “I sh-shot her…”

“Yes. You shot her.” Tzuyu repeated, her voice dropping down to a smooth monotone, “You saw a freezing child with her mother, alone in the snow and you fired at them. But I got away.”

“P-Please…”

“I got away and I’ve been searching for you ever since.”

“No…No! Please!”

_“No…no! Let me go! TZUYU! PLEASE DON’T DO THIS, JIHYO! PLEASE….pleaase…”_

The memory brought up a feeling in Tzuyu. A similar feeling to the one she had after her mother fell to the ground. Loneliness, intense and heartbreaking loneliness. It pierced through her heart and filled her with the pain she had been ignoring since that day. Then it channelled, focusing itself at her victim beneath her. Her body felt hot again, her blood began to boil and a pained scream left her throat. Her hand moved across his neck, slicing the blade through and painting the ground below in red.

Slowly, Tzuyu stood upright. Cold eyes staring down at the man as he choked and gurgled. Only when he went perfectly still did the anger stop. Replaced by an eerie calm that soothed and relaxed her.

“We need to get out of here.”

Tzuyu blinked and looked at her friend. Elkie looked worried but didn’t say anything else. Chancing one look back at the blood making a small stream on the grass, Tzuyu put her knife away and walked back the way they came. For a while they were silent, but eventually Elkie spotted somewhere for them to rest for a moment. Tzuyu sat on the log and stared at her hands, not saying anything. The moments from the clearing repeating over and over in her head.

Elkie studied her for a moment before walking over and sitting next to her, “Are you okay?”

“I don’t know.” Tzuyu admitted,

A comforting arm wrapped round her, “It was a little scary seeing you like that.”

Tzuyu sighed, “I’m sorry…”

“Don’t be.” Elkie told her, “I know you needed that.”

Finally, Tzuyu decided to tell Elkie the issue that had been plaguing her mind.

“You know how Yixing always says we do one thing in life that we will always regret?”

“Yeah?”

“I thought it would be this,” Tzuyu confessed, “But…it’s not. I don’t regret it. I…I enjoyed it.”

Elkie said nothing, letting her continue.

“God, I killed him in cold blood and enjoyed it.” Tzuyu held her head in her hands, “What the fuck is wrong with me?”

Thinking for a moment Elkie spoke up, “Maybe it works both ways.”

“Huh?”

“Maybe we do one thing for the greater good that we regret for the rest of our lives and one truly evil thing that we don’t. We’re human, we’re not perfect. The world is cruel so why can’t humans be equally so from time to time.”

Tzuyu looked at her, “So…you don’t think I’m psychotic?”

“I think you’re a girl built from trauma,” Elkie told her, “You finally had control, you were finally in a position to avenge the person you loved most. The Tzuyu out there in the clearing wasn’t you, not the you I know. It was an angry child desperate to inflict the pain they’ve been feeling on someone else.”

“Thanks, El.” Tzuyu replied, tucking herself under her companions chin, “So what happens now?”

“Well you need to tell Irene and Yixing. Just in case there are any repercussions.” Elkie then paused, “I suppose the rest is up to you. You completed the mission you set out for.”

“I don’t know what to do,” Tzuyu said, “Seoul has felt less and less like home as time has gone by. Plus I doubt I’d be welcomed with open arms.”

“Then stay.”

Elkie spoke before she could stop herself, taking Tzuyu off-guard. She sat up to look Elkie in the eye.

“What?”

“Stay.” Elkie said more certainly, “Please, stay with us. Stay with me. We can be your home now, if you’d let us. Yixing wants his family with him, Irene trusts you, Seulgi and Wendy think you’re adorable and I…”

“You?”

Elkie swallowed, “I…”

Tzuyu met her eyes and Elkie melted slightly. For someone who had just settled a blood debt, Tzuyu’s doe eyes were always so wide an innocent. Truly naive to most things, especially matters of the heart. Once when they had gotten drunk together, the younger girl had divulged her life back at the safe-zone. She had talked about the burden she had placed on Jihyo, her close friendships, Chaeyoung. Elkie knew that there was a risk Tzuyu still wasn’t past everything that had happened. But it also served as a cautionary tale. Of what could happen if you don’t take a shot.

_Oh fuck it!_

“What did you say?” Tzuyu asked,

_Did I say that out loud?_

Refusing to let her slip up ruin the moment, Elkie closed the gap and their lips met. It was like a static shock went down Tzuyu’s spine and her eyes fluttered shut on instinct. She froze a little, hands awkwardly in her lap as she didn’t know what to do with them. This was her first kiss so nerves were present. But then, Elkie’s hand came up to cradle her cheek. The small action calmed her a little and Tzuyu felt herself begin to sink into the kiss. Experimenting with kissing back and smiling when Elkie brushed her cheek with her thumb.

After a moment they pulled back. Tzuyu in a light haze until a lone tear rolled down Elkie’s cheek. Immediately, she took Elkie’s previous role. Cradling her face and wiping the tear away with her thumb.

“What’s wrong?” Tzuyu asked in a whisper, “Was it that bad?”

Elkie chuckled, moving her head out of her hands, “No…just…please don’t leave.”

Everyone had wondered what would happen after Tzuyu completed her goal. Would she keep her promise to Jihyo and go home? Or would she stay with her brother and create a new life with the Fireflies? Tzuyu herself had been positive that she would go back to the safe-zone. That this new life was only temporary. But now…now things were different.

She had the trust and respect of her squadron leader. Irene was a cold bitch, but she looked out for Tzuyu like she would any other member of her team. She had her brother, the last remaining link to her family. The one person in the world who would always be there for her. Then there was Elkie. Elkie was so dear to her and because of here the waters, once crystal clear, were now muddy. It was then she realised they weren’t just treating her LIKE one of them, she WAS one of them.

She wasn’t second choice any more, she wasn’t some frightened little girl clinging to her supposed saviour. Tzuyu was grown, she had fought her demons and now she had been given the gift of choice. Who did she want to be? A team player? Someone whose input was valued and respected? Or someone only known as “Chaeyoung’s friend” or “Jihyo’s sister”.

Tzuyu had fought her demons and had earned her reward. She owed it to herself to explore what this happiness with Elkie could be. They both deserved it. That was the final decider for the tall girl and she knew what her choice was.

In fact, it appeared her decision was made for her.

She reached out and grabbed Elkie’s hand.

“Let’s go home.”

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on Twitter @Elcten


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